Report 1055
Special Report #1055 Skillset: Wildewood Skill: Wildewood(Race) Org: Hartstone Status: Completed Dec 2007 Furies' Decision: We will reduce the eq cost for perspective and give glance ground/trees for free. We will increase wildewood charisma by 1 and give a level 1 cold resistance. Problem: For an obligatory race, Wildewood doesn't measure up. Based on the nature of the race (being only avalible to a single class), it should be on par with a spec race (like High Elfen). Compared to other spec races, Wildewoods have overall a poorer statline, and their stats are in a lesser configuration. More critcally, the weaknesses of the race far outweigh the advantages, especially when compared to other spec races. The perspective mechanic inserted in place of CLIMB UP/DOWN also creates situations where Wildewoods (as tree people) are at a disadvantage fighting non-tree people in forest/woods terrains, as it takes 3 seconds of eq to change elevation for the Wildewood, none for a climber. If the climber climbs up and clings, they will recover balance before a treelife recovers from changing perspective. Treelife works as usual on wildewoods. The stun chance on blunt attacks is 5%. 0 R: 0 Solution #1: Increase Wildewood constitution by 2 points (to 16). Reduce strength by 1 (to 16). Increase charisma and dexterity by 1 point each (to 12 and 10, respectivly). Reduce fire and electric weaknesses by 1 level each (to 2 and none, respectivly). 0 R: 0 Solution #2: Increase Wildewood constitution by 1 (to 15). Increase charisma and dexterity by 1 point each (to 12 and 10). Reduce fire and electric weaknesses by 1 level each (to 2 and none). 0 R: 0 Solution #3: The eq cost on Perspective to 1.5 seconds. Introduce the free GLANCE GROUND ability given to druids. Player Comments: ---on 2/11 @ 23:19 writes: I don't really mind reducing the eq cost on perspective slightly (as long as it remains). Being able to look at the other elevation with no balance cost also seems like a swell idea, given that you're on both. The buffs to the race seem rather hefty, though. Trees are weak to fire, and electricity. Reducing the weaknesses and then making the race much tankier seems excessive- keep in mind that part of the race also includes the skillset as well, and the skillset offers a number of defensive enhancements (which help balance & address the lower dexterity and con). Update the charisma by a point to a base of 12, that seems reasonable. ---on 2/12 @ 00:24 writes: I would have to share Xenthos' reservations about upgrading the hp and reducing the weaknesses, it should be one or the other IMO. The glancing thing is fine ---on 2/15 @ 20:27 writes: Keep in mind that report 1061's solution 2 is to move branch effects so that they effect combo classes only as much as any other class, so that the effects will only fire after a combo and not midway through (for fairness sake) and won't mitigate any of the effects of attacks, as they do nothing to prevent that incoming damage or wounding. I've put in a solution 2, with 1 less con boost. Solution 1 was also intended to have a -1 strength in there, but in transferring from the forums I seem to have lost it, I'll put it in. Trees are no more weak to lightning than anything else, they just happen to generally be the tallest things in nature (and therefore are associated with natural lightning strikes). If a sentient being is directing the lightning, there isn't any reason the tree would be hit more or harder than anything else, in fact, probably the opposite is true! Bark is wonderfully insulative. Honestly, the same goes for fire: Stick a huge, living tree in a wildfire, stick a person in the wildfire, see who fries first, but that one can slide. ---on 2/16 @ 20:38 writes: Doesn't change the fact that all of the branches are still quite defensive in nature- balancing it so it doesn't disproportionately affect certain classes more than others is -excellent- but it does not in any way reduce my point. ---on 2/17 @ 19:33 writes: The fact is that they aren't quite defensive. They do nothing to mitigate attacks that have already happened, and only marginally effect hindering subsequent attacks. If your point is that having branch abilities mitigates being hit harder by attacks, the counter point is: The only time they currently do that is by interrupting combos, halving (or more) the combo. With that removed, they will only act after the damaging attack, and at maximum provide 1 second of hindering, much shorter than an attacking balance.